Matthew Canter, a spokesman for Doyle, said the governor and the Legislature have worked together despite political and philosophical differences. "I think that they've been able to work together most of the time and have passed an incredible amount of legislation that has been good for Wisconsin families," said Canter, adding that 487 laws have been enacted this session. Doyle has signed a total of 816 bills into law during his administration. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and his wife served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Tunisia in the 1960's.

MADISON — In his first term as governor, Jim Doyle is 25 vetoes short of a record that took former Gov. Tommy Thompson 14 years to set.

Doyle, a Democrat, has vetoed 101 bills in two legislative sessions, 47 of them during the 2005-2006 session that just ended. He holds the first- and second-place record for the most vetoes issued in a session, with 54 in 2003-2004.

Thompson, a Republican, was halfway into his second term before he broke 100. He closed out seven legislative sessions with 126 entire vetoes. He still holds the record, however, for partial vetoes, with 1,670 in 14 years.

And just as Thompson issued 84 percent of his vetoes when the state Legislature was controlled by a different party, Doyle has delivered his record number of vetoes to a Legislature controlled by Republicans since he took office.

"To understand what's happening, you have to examine the political situation of the state right now," said David Littig, professor emeritus of public and environmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. "Jim Doyle is a pro-business, centrist, moderate Democrat facing a Republican majority" whose ideology has moved farther to the right in recent years, Littig said.

The Republicans have a 19-14 majority in the Senate and control the Assembly 59-39.

Matthew Canter, a spokesman for Doyle, said the governor and the Legislature have worked together despite political and philosophical differences.

"I think that they've been able to work together most of the time and have passed an incredible amount of legislation that has been good for Wisconsin families," said Canter, adding that 487 laws have been enacted this session. Doyle has signed a total of 816 bills into law during his administration.

"There are a few instances where the governor has had to step in and bring them back to the issues that people actually care about — not loaded weapons in playgrounds or cutting education — but in dealing with the rising cost of energy and making health care more affordable," Canter said.

The Legislature has tried and failed to override Doyle. Just this past week, the Assembly attempted to override four bills, but fell short.

"Knowing that they have difficulty overriding the veto, one of their strategies is putting constitutional amendments on the ballot in the fall," said Littig.

That was the motivation behind passing an advisory referendum on the death penalty, said Senate president Alan Lasee, R-Rockland.

"I knew full well he (Doyle) would veto a bill having to do with the death penalty," said Lasee. "It made no sense to go that route, and it made better sense to go to the people and see how they actually feel about it."

Lasee said the Legislature also passed bills that Republicans predicted Doyle would reject, but pursued them anyway. Concealed carry of weapons, photo identification cards for voters, immigration and the Legislature's approval of off-reservation casinos are examples of such bills, Lasee said.

"It was important for the citizens to know where we stand on some of these very important issues, and where the governor stands," Lasee said. "There is a distinct difference, and a huge philosophical difference there."

Senate assistant minority leader Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, said that when compromises cannot be reached on critical issues, Doyle's only alternative is to veto.

"I think he's used his veto power judiciously," said Hansen. "It shouldn't be just all one rubber stamp, and that's what's happening in Washington, D.C."

Rep. John Ainsworth, R-Shawano, had one of his bills — Assembly Bill 327 — vetoed by Doyle, but a second version was signed into law. He said Doyle was scheduled to sign the first bill, but changed his mind when he learned the bill would require regulatory changes for the state Department of Revenue.

"I'm sure he was acting upon advice given to him," said Ainsworth, who said the veto underscored a lack of trust on Doyle's part. "Apparently the administration was more comfortable with us trusting them than with them trusting us" to change the revenue department regulations after AB 327 became law.

"He (Doyle) is not using his veto power as wisely as he could be using it," said Ainsworth.

Still, Littig said, "the veto is a check" that plays an important role in the legislative process.

"The vetoes show that there is still a check and balance in effect," said Littig. He said it becomes a tradeoff between majority rule and executive power.

"Maybe by doing that, they're working out pretty well," Littig said.

When this story was posted in July 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Jody Olsen is acting Peace Corps DirectorThe Senate confirmed Gaddi Vasquez to head the FAO on June 30. Jody Olsen will be acting Director until the President makes a permanent appointment. Olsen has been Deputy Director of the Peace Corps since 2002. She has previously served as Chief of Staff for two directors, as regional director for North Africa, Near East, and Asia and the Pacific, and as country director in Togo. She served in Tunisia as a PCV.

Changing the Face of HungerIn his new book, Former Congressman Tony Hall (RPCV Thailand) says humanitarian aid is the most potent weapon the United States can deploy against terrorism. An evangelical Christian, he is a big believer in faith-based organizations in the fight against hunger. Members of Congress have recently recommended that Hall be appointed special envoy to Sudan to focus on ending the genocide in Darfur.

PC will not return to East Timor in 2006Volunteers serving in East Timor have safely left the country as a result of the recent civil unrest and government instability. Latest: The Peace Corps has informed us that at this time, the Peace Corps has no plans to re-enter the country in 2006. The Peace Corps recently sent a letter offering eligible volunteers the opportunity to reinstate their service in another country.

Chris Dodd considers run for the White HouseSenator Chris Dodd plans to spend the next six to eight months raising money and reaching out to Democrats around the country to gauge his viability as a candidate. Just how far Dodd can go depends largely on his ability to reach Democrats looking for an alternative to Hillary Clinton. PCOL Comment: Dodd served as a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic and has been one of the strongest supporters of the Peace Corps in Congress.

Vasquez testifies before Senate CommitteeDirector Vasquez testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination as the new Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture replacing Tony Hall. He has been the third longest serving Peace Corps Director after Loret Ruppe Miller and Sargent Shriver. PCOL Comment: Read our thanks to Director Vasquez for his service to the Peace Corps.

Interview with a Hit ManRPCV John Perkins says that for many years he was an "economic hit man" in the world of international finance whose primary job was to convince less developed countries to accept multibillion dollar loans for infrastructure projects that left the recipient countries wallowing in debt and highly vulnerable to outside political and commercial interests. In this exclusive interview for "Peace Corps Online," Colombia RPCV Joanne Roll, author of Remember with Honor, talks to Perkins about his Peace Corps service, his relation with the NSA, "colonization" in Ecuador, the consequences of his work, why he decided to speak out, and what his hopes are for change.

Peace Corps stonewalls on FOIA requestThe Ashland Daily Tidings reports that Peace Corps has blocked their request for information on the Volkart case. "After the Tidings requested information pertaining to why Volkart was denied the position — on March 2 — the newspaper received a letter from the Peace Corps FOIA officer stating the requested information was protected under an exemption of the act." The Dayton Daily News had similar problems with FOIA requests for their award winning series on Volunteer Safety and Security.

PCOL readership increases 100%Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

History of the Peace CorpsPCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace CorpsTimothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case.

Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in dangerWhen the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

Read the stories and leave your comments.

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Story Source: Green Bay Press Gazette

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Tunisia; Politics; State Government

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